Conservatism is on the rise among Gen Z, and Fordham students are growing increasingly aware of this phenomenon.  

Conservatism in the United States is deeply rooted in the belief that the interpretation of the Constitution must be based on the authors’’ intent and preserving those traditions amidst societal changes over time. 

The conversation around conservatism on campus has recently grown more relevant. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses, was assassinated on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. 

“It’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights … That is a prudent deal.” Charlie Kirk

At the age of 18, Kirk started his own grassroots organization in his small suburban hometown outside of Chicago. His efforts later grew into what we now know as Turning Point USA. Kirk dropped out of college after one semester and never received a college degree. He became the youngest speaker at the Republican National Convention in 2016 at the age of 22. 

What made Kirk extremely popular on social media were his debates in which he visited different colleges and invited students to argue with him at his coined “Prove Me Wrong” table. Kirk and his organization Turning Point USA were influential in spreading conservative ideas across college campuses. According to the Turning Point USA Students website, the organization has over 800 chapters around the country. Currently, Fordham does not have an official chapter on either campus. 

One of Kirk’s most controversial takes was on gun control policies in the United States, as he viewed gun deaths as a worthy risk in order for the Second Amendment to be protected. During an April 2023 visit to the Awaken Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kirk said, “It’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights … That is a prudent deal.” 

Because Kirk had strong conservative beliefs in regards to abortions, DEI, LGBTQ+ rights and gun control, he appealed to conservative Americans who feared liberal policies would violate traditional American values.

“What we believe as conservatives is that skin color really doesn’t matter that much. We care about character and merit. We want a country built on what you bring to the table, not how you look,” Kirk said.

Pietro Bovari, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’26, is an international student from Italy who has seen the effects that Kirk has had on the younger generation and why Kirk may be desirable, especially to younger men. 

“I feel like as a society, everybody wants to hear what they think is right and therefore there’s been a shift to either side. There’s less communication and more, ‘Oh, I’m right because he said so,’” Bovari said.

In 2023, The Wall Street Journal published a video with statistics on why young men are turning to the Republican Party. From 2016 to 2023, there was a 13% increase in the number of young American men ages 18 to 29 whose party preference was the Republican Party.

Social media has been influential in the rise of conservatism among young women in the U.S. The following of young female conservative influencers who have taken to their social accounts to post their lifestyles has increased.  

“I feel like as a society, everybody wants to hear what they think is right and therefore there’s been a shift to either side. There’s less communication and more, ‘Oh, I’m right because he said so,’” Pietro Bovari, GSBLC ’26

Using social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, influencers like Hannah Neeleman, better known as Ballerina Farm, and Nara Smith, who is known for her traditional style and “tradwife” content, are paving the way for Gen Z conservative ways of living. 

According to an article by Vogue Business, in 2024, Smith’s social accounts grew: “(Smith’s) TikTok followers are up 700 per cent since 9 January, and Instagram is up 670 per cent.”

Tanaya Barnes, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’28, is well aware of influencers like Smith who use their brands to promote new forms of conservative lifestyles to Gen Z. Barnes mentioned that these influencers rely heavily on social media to promote a modern conservative life to their audiences.  

Barnes said that she thought these influencers “made conservatism into an actually desirable brand.” 

The term “tradwife,” an abbreviated version of “traditional wife,” has been thrown around with reference to influencers like Smith and Neeleman. The Merriam-Webster definition of the term refers to “a married woman who embraces traditional gender roles and values; the word is particularly used for a young woman who chooses to be a homemaker and shares her lifestyle online.”

Barnes touched on how Smith and Neeleman have restored the traditional stereotype of what a woman should act and look like. 

“She is really what women are ‘supposed’ to be like — she just stays home and does nothing, and that’s becoming desirable for young women because young women are like, ‘Oh, well, she’s rich and she doesn’t have to do anything,’” Barnes said. “That plays into how overarching capitalism is, because we don’t want to go to work, and that’s why people are finding a new solution.” 

Conservatism became prevalent after WWI, but saw substantial growth during the 1970s and 80s. Americans grew dissatisfied with left-leaning policies, while government distrust grew as a result of the Vietnam War and Watergate. Alongside an increasing struggle with economic instability, Americans found their way back to traditional values. 

In a 1975 interview with Reason Magazine, before becoming president, then-California Governor Ronald Reagan presented his idea on why conservatism was on the rise in the U.S. 

“The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom,” Reagan said. 

Reagan had a strong role in shaping conservatism during this time, advocating for legislation on the issues of religion in schools and limiting abortion. He appealed to conservative Americans by promoting traditional family values in his presidential actions.

Though associated with the Republican Party, conservatism is present in the Democratic Party as well. 

The Blue Dog Coalition is a caucus within the United States House of Representatives that was founded in 1995 by conservative Democrats. It remains the most conservative group within the Democratic Party. Historically, they have been fiscally and socially conservative, but today, they are described as socially liberal and fiscally conservative. 

Charlie Kirk’s funeral was held on Sept. 21 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Included in the 90,000 people in attendance were President Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk.

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, who spoke at her husband’s funeral, has vowed to take over her husband’s company, carrying on  its mission of spreading conservatism among institutions across the country. 

After the death of Kirk, college students across the country have turned to public discourse on political violence. The division between the Republican Party and the people’s definitions of conservatism are expanding, leading to the possibility of convergence to be unknown.